Morning Brief: Govt Weighs Easing China Trade Curbs; India Yet To Confirm Yunus-Modi Meeting During BIMSTEC Summit; US Student Visa Denials Hit Decade-High; And More

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India Weighs Easing China Trade Curbs

India is considering easing trade and investment restrictions on China, which were imposed after the 2020 Galwan clashes, as policymakers see an opportunity amid easing border tensions. Discussions are underway to relax visa rules for Chinese personnel, lift certain import barriers, and potentially allow some banned Chinese apps. Proposals also include resuming flights and issuing visas to Chinese scholars, with investment inflows from Beijing being reconsidered to address the widening trade deficit.

The government may also soften its 2020 policy requiring approval for investments from countries sharing land borders with India. A recent Finance Ministry presentation reportedly supported reopening economic ties, potentially as a counterbalance to US trade pressures, a report in the Indian Express says.

India Yet To Confirm Yunus-Modi Meeting During BIMSTEC Summit

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told a panel of MPs that Bangladesh’s request for a meeting between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the BIMSTEC summit next month has not yet been confirmed. During the two-hour meeting, MPs raised concerns over attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, with Jaishankar stating that Dhaka claimed the incidents were politically motivated rather than targeted at minorities. He also informed the panel that India was aware of the growing anti-Sheikh Hasina wave before the violent overthrow of her government on 5 August 2024, but had limited leverage to intervene. Jaishankar acknowledged that India, along with other stakeholders, had been monitoring the situation in Bangladesh closely.

US Student Visa Denials Hit Decade-High

Student visa rejections by the US hit a 10-year high in the 2023-24 fiscal year, with 41 per cent of F-1 visa applications denied, nearly double the 2014 rate. Of the 6.79 lakh applications submitted, 2.79 lakh were rejected, marking an increase from the 36 per cent refusal rate in 2022-23. The US State Department has not released country-specific data, but reports indicate a 38 per cent decline in student visas issued to Indians in the first nine months of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The F-1 visa is granted to non-immigrant students enrolling in academic institutions across the US. The sharp rise in denials suggests stricter screening for international students.

Other Developments

HCL-Foxconn JV Eyes EPC Partner For UP Chip Unit

HCL-Foxconn's joint venture has initiated talks with Larsen & Toubro and Taiwan’s CTCI to onboard an engineering, procurement, and construction partner for its upcoming outsourced semiconductor assembly and testing facility in Uttar Pradesh. The discussions were held as the JV awaits Cabinet approval, expected by month-end. Foxconn, investing $37.2 million, holds a 40 per cent stake in the project, which has been allotted a new plot in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority region near Noida. CTCI, a key construction partner for Foxconn, has previously worked on its campuses in Chennai and Bengaluru and was involved in TSMC's Arizona plant.

Canada's New PM Calls Snap Polls To Ride Post-Trudeau Momentum

Mark Carney, who succeeded Justin Trudeau as Canada’s Prime Minister earlier this month, has called a snap election for April 28 to seek a strong mandate against U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly announced tariffs. Canada was not set to hold a general election until October 20, but Carney, a former central banker with no prior political experience, is capitalizing on his growing support after taking over the Liberal Party leadership. The Liberals, in power since 2015, were trailing the Conservatives at the start of 2025 but now hold a slight lead in opinion polls. As the election campaign begins, the Liberals and Conservatives are virtually tied, while the New Democrats, likely to align with the Liberals in a hung parliament, remain a distant third.

Trump's Greenland Push Back In Focus as US Officials Head To Island

Donald Trump’s push to acquire Greenland is escalating as Second Lady Usha Vance, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, and other top officials prepare to visit the island. Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, has been at the center of Trump’s ambitions since he attempted to buy it during his first term. His statement that “one way or the other, we’re going to get it” has fuelled concerns in both Denmark and Greenland. The visit, which also includes U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, comes as Washington increases its focus on Arctic affairs. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has clarified that neither Denmark nor Greenland invited the U.S. delegation.

Turkey Erupts As Erdogan’s Main Challenger Is Jailed

The arrest of Turkish dictator Erdogan’s main rival, Ekrem Imamoglu, has sparked some of the largest protests in Turkey in over a decade. Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul, was detained and charged with corruption ahead of his expected nomination as the opposition CHP’s 2028 presidential candidate. He has denied the charges, calling them politically motivated, and vowed, "I will never bow." Erdogan has condemned the protests and accused the opposition of attempting to divide the nation. While Imamoglu remains eligible to run, a conviction would bar him from challenging Erdogan, who cannot seek re-election in 2028 unless he alters the constitution.

From The States

Akhilesh Yadav Defends Aurangzeb Sympathiser

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav defended his Rajya Sabha MP Ramjilal Suman after he called Rajput ruler Rana Sanga a "traitor" in Parliament, dismissing the outrage as selective criticism. Yadav attempted to justify Suman’s remarks by claiming that if BJP leaders can discuss Aurangzeb, then questioning Rana Sanga’s legacy should also be fair game. In his attempt to counter the BJP, Yadav also invoked a largely discredited notion about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation, falsely claiming that he was anointed using the toe of a left foot, further mocking Hindu historical figures. The BJP slammed Yadav, accusing him of blatant appeasement politics and disrespecting the Hindu community to pander to his Muslim vote bank. 

Kejriwal Suggests His Jail Ordeal Was Harsher Than Bhagat Singh’s

Arvind Kejriwal, in his first public appearance after AAP’s humiliating poll defeat, compared his imprisonment to that of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh. Speaking at an event honouring him, he claimed that while the British at least delivered Bhagat Singh’s censored letters, his own letter to the L-G was blocked entirely. He alleged that he was even threatened with losing jail privileges for writing it, arguing that today’s rulers are more oppressive than the British. Kejriwal also accused the BJP and Congress of replacing colonial rule with a corrupt system, insisting that Bhagat Singh’s fight remains unfinished.

You’re all caught up—until next time.